Device for brewing or infusing tea or other beverages



Patented oef. 28,1952

DEVICE FOR BREWING OR INFSING TEA y OR OTHER BEVERAGES I Y.Alexander-Smail, Virginia Water,.Englandi Application February 23, 195o,serial No. 145,717

I In Great Britain February 22, 1949 chief object to evolve such adevice adapted for application to a kettle, urn or other Watercontainer.v 'y A According to the present invention there is provided adevice for brewing or infusing tea or other beverage, comprising acasing or body member having an inlet adapted to be connected to thespout or the like of a kettle, urn or vother vessel, said body memberbeing formed with an outlet, and further comprising aperforated orporous container adapted to be disposed within said body member and tohold a supply` of tea cr other desired substance, the arrangement beingsuch that when Water is caused 'toilow from the kettle, urn or othervessel and hence through the said body member to the ,outletof thelatter, itwill pass through said tea or other substance and will brew orinfuse the same. f

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same maybe carried into effect reference will now be made to the {accompanyingdrawings vin which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device made in accordance with theinvention, l v

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken upon the line II-II of Figurel.

Figure 3 is a plan view corresponding to Figurel. f

Figure'4 is a plan View similar to Figure3, but with the top closureofthe device removed and,

.Figure is an inverted plan view ofthe top closure of the device removedin theillustration of Figure 4.

As appears from Figure 1, the device essentially includes a casing orbody I having a, knurled ridge 2 and a removable top closure 3. Thelower end of the body I has a spout-like portion 4 formed with anorifice or outlet 5.Y The closure 3 has an integral nipple 6 which isexternally ribbed to provide a liquid-tight*connection with a hose (notshown) that may.: be placed over the nipple 6.

Asv seen best in Figure 2, the casing or body I has an internalcylindrical hollow for the accommodation of a cylindrical container 1. Apiece of y 2 Claims. (Cl. 99-305) v member.

of the longitudinal groove I 0 is shown in Figure 4. In Figure 2 thelongitudinal extent of the groove Il) is indicated, and it is to beobserved that the groove is extended through the annular shoulder 9whereby a passage II is reiectively provided communicating as betweenthe groove IU and the outlet 5. The container I has a removable upperclosure I2, the latter possessing an integral depending iiange I3adapted to fit within the ymouth of the container 1. A central apertureIll isformed in the closure member I2, such aperture being closed by apiece of gauze I5 held in position by an annular member IS accommodatedinthe circular flange I3. The container 'I has a ring of small aperturesIl formed in the curved side walls. 1

The closure member 3 'for the body member I has a depending skirt I8which is externally threaded. Thev -mouth of the body member I whichreceives the closure is correspondingly internally screw-threaded.` Thescrew-threading is preferably of the type having square cross-sectionthreads, and is quick in its action thus serving as a simple form oflocking means for the closure 3. A post la-'ismounted upon the outerside of the closure 3, the post being eiectively integral with a pin 2Uupon which a balile plate 2I is mounted. As appears from Figure 5, thebaiile plate `2I is oval inshape possessing two arcuate side edges 22and 23 which have the same curvature as the internal wall of the skirtI5 of the closure 3. The plate 2| is apertured at 24, such aperturebeing disposed off-centre in the plate. The plate 2l has aY rectangularsection groove cut in the facethereof adjacent the contiguous inner faceof the closure 3. The groove is indicated in dotted lines in the plan ofFigure 5 at 25, whilst a longitudinalsection through the groove is seenat 25 in Figure 2. It will be appreciated that the groove 25 eiectivelyprovides a passageway extending from the arcuate side edge 23 of thebaflle plate to the aperture 24 therein. The bore 23 of the nipple vE5is slightly greater in diameter than the aperture 24. The post I9 has alaterally projecting arm 2l provided with a heat insulating knob 28. i

In the employment of the device described above it will be understoodthat the nipple 6 is connected as by a hose to a source of boilingwater. Such source may consist of a kettle or like vessel, or-an urn.The body member I may be easily detached from its closure 3, whereuponthe container 'I may be Withdrawn from the body Upon removing theclosure I2 of the containerj tea 0r other substance -can be placedwithin the container, the tea or the like being supported upon the gauze8. The closure l2 can ment of the body member I upon the closure 3thereof, the device is prepared for operation. Boiling water may now bereleased into the nipple 6 from whence it will run through the aperture24 in the baie plate 2l, when the device is in the position illustratedin the full lines in Figure 5, and in Figure 2. The boiling water willpass directly through the aperture I4 and hence will pass into theinterior of the container 1. From the container I the boiling waterhaving contaoted the tea or the like, may escape through the sideapertures Il and also through the perforated or porous bottom wall 8,andv hence a prepared beverage will oW from the outlet 5. A certainamount of the boiling water entering the nipple B will pass through thelongitudinal groove lil and will escape via the passageway ll into theoutlet 5. However, the main tendency will be for the boiling water topass into the container L If the arm 2'1 is swung angularly from theillustrated position with the aid of the knob 28 then the effect will beto displace the baille plate 2i from the full-line position shown inFigure 5 towards the position thereof illustrated in chaindotted lines.'Ihis will have the effect of bringing the aperture 24 in the baiileplate progressively further out of register with the bore 25 of thenipple 6.Y The groove 25 inthe baffle plate will simultaneously bebrought progressively beneath the bore 26 and will thus tendprogressively to supply increasing amounts of the boiling water to thegroove I from whence it will be bypassed through the passage Il directedto the outlet `5. When the aperture r24 is completelyv out of registerwith the bore25 the water entering the nipple B will be mainly directedtowards the by-pass groove lil and passage Il, so that a minimum amountof water will be supplied to the container 1. Thus it will beappreciated that by adjustment of the arm 21 the` rate of flow ofboiling water through-the charged container 1 will be variable. Hencethe strength of the beverage dispensed through the outlet will becorrespondingly variable.

It will be appreciated that the constructional embodiment describedabove may be varied as to details. Thus the screw-threaded connectionbetween the closure and the body member may be replaced by any otherconvenient form of connection such as a bayonetr joint. The requirementsare simply that the connection shallbe reasonably fluid-tight whilstbeing easily disengageable.

Although the device has been described and illustrated as being readilyremovable from the kettle, urn or the like to which it is to be applied,it will be appreciated that the' nipple 5 ofthe closure member could befixed permanently to the spout of say a kettle, or be even integraltherewith. This has the advantage that when the kettle is boiling,steam. will pass through the tea or the like that may be in thecontainer prior to the pouring of the water therethrough. This willassist in the brewing or infusing operation.

I claim:

1. A device for brewing beverages, such device being adapted forexternal application to a spout of a vessel capable of holding water tobe heated and comprising a casing member having an inlet and an outletsaid inlet being adapted to be connected to the spout, a perforated orporous container adapted to be' disposed within said casing memberintermediate the inlet and outlet and to hold a supply of a substancefrom which the beverage is to be brewed or infused, a bypass channelarranged within said casing member such channel extending effectivelyfrom the inlet to the outlet of the casing member and a baie platedisposed within'the casing member, said baieplate being adjustablydisplaceable so that when water is caused to flow from the vessel andthrough said casing member a preselected proportion may be caused topass through the substance in4 the container While the remainder isdiverted to the bypass channel, the

2. A device for brewing beverages such device` being adapted forexternal application to a spout of a vessel capable of holding'water tobe heated and comprising a cylindricalr casing member having at one enda removable closure in which an inlet 'is provided and at the oppositeend va spoutlike outlet, a container also of cylindrical formand adaptedto be disposed within said casing member intermediate the inlet andtheoutlet, said container'including at least one perforate wall and aremovable closure which is formed with an inlet `opening and serving tohold a supply of a substance from which the beverage is to be brewed orinfused, a bypass channel'- arranged within r.said casing member suchlchannel extending effectively from the inlet to the outlet of the casingmember and an adjustably displaceable bafiie plate disposed within thecasing member adjacent the inner face of the closure member of thelatter, said baiiie plate having an aperture that may register with theinlet in said closure member to permit liquid to enter the container andthe contiguous face of the baiie plate having a groove formed therein,which extends from the aperture in said baffle plate to the side edge ofthe latter, said groove in the bafe plate serving to direct water to thebypass channel and the arrangement being such that when water'is causedto iiow from the vessel and through the casing member to the outlet itWill be possible by appropriate setting oi said baiile plate 'to ensurethat a preselected proportion of such water will pass through thesubstance in the container while the remainder will be directed via saidgroove to the said bypass channel.

ALEXANDER SMAIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATN Ts Number Namev Date 542,731 Halstead July 16, 18951,062,236 rI-ItC-l'icools. May 20, 1913 1,075,727 Reichert Oct.` 14,1913 1,317,717 McKenney Oct. 7, 1919 1,507,806 Zeller Sept. 9, 19241,624,526 Bohmsack Apr. 12, 1927 2,020,104 Collin NOV. 5, 1935 2,205,290Herrera June 18, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Countryv Dater 136,434; YGermany Nov. 25. 1902

